Reversible and variable-speed mechanism.



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J. BANWELL. REVERSIBLE AND VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY a1. 1901. RENEWBD FEB. 12, 1903.

N0 MODEL UNITE-D `STATES ATENT Enron.

JAMES BANWELL,A OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TI-IREE-FOURTHS TO C. IV. NOKES, JOSEPH O. NORTON, WILLIAM H. LEPPLEY, AND WILLIAM J. ROBLIN, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIO.

REVERSIBLE AND VARIABILE-SPEED MECHANISlVl.

SPEQIFEGATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,228, dated March 24, 1903. Application filed July 3l, 1901. Renewed February 1,2, 1903. Serial No. 143,143. (No` model.)

To a/ZZ wiz/m it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES BANWELL, a citizen of` theUnited States, residing at Cleve-- land, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible and Variable SpeedMechanism; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable oth- Io ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to reversible and va-` riable-speed mechanism; and the prime ob-` ject of the invention is to provide a speed-` 1 I 5 varying and reversing mechanism in which a positive gear connection is made with the driven disk, as heretofore, all substantially as.4 shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a vertical cross-sectional elevation of a set of gear-disks and a section of shaft on which they are supported and showing also the gear and clutch mechanism connected with the `a 5 disks, as hereinafter fully described. Fig. 2 is a face view of a section of one of the disks and of the clutch mechanism in the rear. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevationof the drive gear or pinion, partly broken Aaway at 3o its top to more clearly disclose the depth and relation ofits teeth therein. Fig. 4. is a vertical sectional elevation taken substantially on line y y, Fig. @disclosing the construction of the drive-gear and the disk-shaped y teeth and theirvbearings therein.

As above indicated,one of the objects of this invention is to provide positive actuating connection between the drive mechanism and the disk orwheelwhich it operates, and thus 4o avoid Vthe objections which are encountered in an all-friction engagement between these parts and which byreason of its being merely frictional and not positive is difficult to maintain in heavy work without slipping. It will furthermore be observed that I employ two sO-called f disks instead of only one and that these disks A and A are placed on the same `shaft B directly opposite each other, with their working surfaces in parallel planes and 5o always maintained at the same distance apart -off their bearings. y Each disk, furthermore,

is provided with a right-angled outwardly-ex: tending flange c of a perfect ringI or band shape and adapted to be engaged by the friction clutching or locking segments D, arrangedl insideof said Vflange or band ct and adapted to make engagement therewith to communicate the driving power to or .upon shaft B. The construction of all the parts for both disks is the same, so that a description of one answers for both.

The shaft B has a spline h, which is engaged by the hub of clutch-controlling member E, mounted on said shaft and adapted to slide back and forth thereon. This member inthis instance has a series of arms 2, with which are engaged on their-inner sides a set of links d and d', respectively,operating somewhat on the principle of lazy-tongs and pivoted at their meeting ends on lugs on the rear of said arms 2. At their outer ends the links cl connect with friction-segments D, two of said links being directly engaged with each segment, as seen in Fig. 2, while links d eX- tend inward and are pivoted on ring d2 on sleeve C. Thus the power transmitted to the disks through drive gear or pinion G is communicated to shaft B through either one of the disks A or A', according as'one or the other is selected by the operator and which is determined by the direction he wants the machine to go.

On the inside of each disk I provide a series of gear-teeth 4, arranged in concentric circles, as shown in face View', Fig. 2, and spaced uniformly apart between circles as well as in circles. These teeth are preferably semispherical and constitute in this instance an integral portion of the disks. v 95 Gear-wheel G is provided with disk-shaped teeth g, which are confined by and project about a third their depth through the rim or outer band 5 of said wheel and expose their flat sides to the teeth 4 of the disks. These roo latter teeth 4 are set upon antifriction-rollers 6 in suitable races within wheel G and are adapted to rotate or roll thereon. This is especially advantageous when the pinion or wheel G is moved back and. forth upon its shaft J for the purposes of varying speed, because said wheel is to' be operated when the gear is inv motion under resistance, and being in mesh under the pressure of the load there must be considerable resistance to its movement back and forth. Hence disks with antifriction-rollers are used and are found exceedingly practical. In this instance a rod 7, presumably operated from a suitable lever, (not shown,) engages the neckv or hub g' of wheel G and serves to slide said wheel to and fro on shaft J. The inner end of said shaft is shown in this instance as having its bearing in the sleeve C, but it`might be otherwise supported. The wheel G is shown here as made up in two parts side by side and bolted together, and the races or pockets for gears and their rollers are formed partly in each section.

In a vehicle one disk A or A' serves for propelling and the other for backing. Both revolve at the same time, but one always runs idle. When idle, segments D are disengaged, as at the right in Fig. 1.

Obviously gear G can be moved to mesh with any one of the circles or series of teeth 4, and this movement is promoted by reason of the peculiar construction of the respective teeth and their joint operation.

It will be noticed as a feature of the antifriction-teeth 5 that their edges are rounded laterally, conforming somewhat to the roundness of the teeth 4, and having fixed bearings at their sides in the rim g they are caused to lie in a plane at right angles to the plane of the disks A and A', and thus present their fiat sides to the teeth 4. This promotes adjustment back and forth on the gear and gives a broad bearing-surface when at work.

What I claim isl. A varying-speed mechanism comprising a set of disks with fixed rounded teeth in circles, in combination with a drive-wheel having disk-shaped rotatable teeth arranged to engage with the teeth on said disks and to rotate at right angles to the wheel, substantially as described.

2. In Variable-speed mechanism, a drivegear having a series of flatsided pockets and disk-shaped antifriction-teeth confined loosely in said pockets, in combination with a disk having a series of teeth on its side engaged with the said disks of the drive-wheel, substantially as described.

8. A set of disks having teeth on their opposed faces, a shaft on which said disks are su pported and separate clutch mechanism for each disk, in combination with a single gear placed between said disks and in mesh with both, and adjustable to and from the shaft carrying the disks to vary the speed, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specifi-- cation this 16th day of July, 1901.

JAMES BANWELL.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, H. T. FISHER. 

